About Rabidosa hentzi (Banks, 1904)
Rabidosa hentzi is a small species of wolf spider native to North America. The majority of identified specimens have been collected in Florida, with additional records from Georgia and Louisiana. Its overall coloration is similar to that of Rabidosa carrana and Rabidosa rabida, but it can be separated from other species in the Rabidosa genus by its paler overall color and distinct striped pattern on its back. The cephalothorax is a pale brown-yellow, with a narrower bright yellow to white streak running between its divisions that extends past the eyes. Both the sternum and abdomen are pale, though the upper sides of the abdomen bear brown streaks and spots. A black band holding the eyes extends backward from the eyes, fading into the surrounding pale brown color. The spermathecae are round, and the palea of the pedipalp has a sclerotized cap. Males and females have similar-looking faces and chelicerae, but the male’s face and chelicerae are usually a lighter brown. Males also typically have fewer brown lateral markings on the abdomen than females. In field observations, R. hentzi can be distinguished from similar-looking species by the thin yellow stripe on its back. Although it is usually a ground-dwelling spider, the presence of scopula hairs on its tarsi and metatarsi allows it to sometimes climb into shrubs and bushes. It is the only known wolf spider that climbs into higher vegetation in open woodland.
